ARIZONA, USA — Current Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the projected winner in Arizona’s race for Governor, gave her victory speech in front of supporters in a packed room in Phoenix Tuesday.
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Hobbs, a Democrat, will be the first to hold the state’s top office since former Governor Janet Napolitano left the position in 2009.
In her speech today, Hobbs reflected on the election cycle and repeated an often-used phrase on her campaign trail regarding the choice Arizona voters made over Republican nominee Kari Lake.
“Arizonans chose solving our problems over conspiracy theories. We chose sanity over chaos. And we chose unity over division. We chose a better Arizona, and we chose democracy,” Hobbs said.
The race between Hobbs and Lake was expected to be tight, and Hobbs had said she was expecting every vote to matter.
While at the victory rally, Hobbs took a moment to address those who didn’t vote for her.
“Arizonans who didn't vote for me know that I will work just as hard for you because even in this moment of division, I believe there is so much more that connects us,” Hobbs said.
During her speech, Hobbs called on the state legislature to partner with her come January to address issues like the border crisis, water crisis, education, economy and abortion.
“These problems are urgent, and it's going to take both parties working together to fix them,” Hobbs said.
Regarding public education, Hobbs said public school investments will be a priority.
“Governor-elect Hobbs has a plan to keep educators in the state to make sure that our schools are thriving. And that's what we need,” Ellie Perez-Pawlowski, political director for the Arizona Education Association, said.
While a significant investment was made in public education by the state legislature this past summer, currently, the aggregate expenditure limit is hanging over public schools. It’s a constitutional cap that limits how much money schools can spend from that bipartisan budget that was passed if it’s not lifted by lawmakers come March.
“We definitely hope to see a solution for the AEL,” Perez-Pawlowski said. “Right now, our schools are handcuffed.”
Hobbs also said when she takes office in early January; abortion access will be top of mind.
“I will use every tool at my disposal to restore the reproductive rights that we've been guaranteed for the last 50 years,” Hobbs said.
In addition, Hobbs also mentioned how she wants to make state government "more transparent, accountable and responsive" when she takes office.
To accomplish the goals she laid out, Hobbs will have to work with a Republican legislature, which will again have a one-vote advantage in the state house and state senate.
“To my colleagues in the legislature, we must work together to solve our urgent problems. Republicans and Democrats will have an open door to my office so we can get to work, find bipartisan compromise, and deliver for the people of Arizona,” Hobbs said.
Decision 2022
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